Fertilizer-distributer.



E. ROTRAMEL.

FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTBR.

A APPLIOATION FILED MAR.6, 1913.

1,075,1 21. Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Inventor Attorneys E. BOTRAMEL. FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. s. 1913.

Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

ELISHA ROTRAMEL, OF GRAYVILLE, ILLINOIS.

FERTILIZER-DISTRIBUTER.

Application filed March 6, 1613.

T 0 all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, ELISHA ROTRAMEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grayville, in the county of lVhite and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Fertilizer-Distributer, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to fertilizer distributers, one of its objectsbeing to provide a machine of this character having means whereby thesize of the discharge opening can be regulated at will and additionalmeans whereby the opening can be enlarged.

automatically should a stone or other hard substance become lodged inthe opening and tend to clog it, this automatic enlargement of theopening serving to release the object lodged in the opening so thatinjury to any part of the machine will not result.

Another object is to provide a machine of this character the agitatingmeans of which are connected directly to the axle of the machine so asto rotate with it.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combi nation andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings :-Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the machine. Fig. 2is a plan view of the hopper carrying frame, the axle being broken awayand the supporting rods of the closure regulating bars being shown insection. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 4 is anenlarged section through a portion of the hopper and showing its closurecontrolling mechanism. Fig.

5 is an inner elevation of a portion of the bottom of the hopper andshowing the pins arranged thereon. Fig. 6 is an end view of one of thesupporting bars and the lower portion of its hanger. Fig. 7 is anelevation of a. portion of the axle and showing some of the teeththereon. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the teeth.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a frameof any suitable construction said frame being provided Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Oct. 7,1913.

Serial No. 752.516.

with an intermediate longitudinal strip 2 in which hangers 3 are mountedto slide, each hanger being formed with an adjustable head 4 contactingwith one end of a spring 5, said spring being coiled about the hangerand bearing downwardly on the frame 1. Each hanger has its lower endforked and said end straddles and is pivotally connected to a cross bar6 which extends under the frame and is mounted, at its rear end, uponthe lower end of a rod 7 Said rod is connected tothe lower end of achain 8 which, in turn, is secured to a shaft 9. Said shaft is journaledin brackets 10 extending rearwardly from a hopper 11, this hopper beingsuitably secured on the frame 1. A handle 12 may be extended radiallyfrom the shaft and provided with a spring pressed dog 13 adapted toengage a toothed segment 14 whereby the shaft can be held againstrotation. By means of the handle or lever 12, the chains 8 can besimultaneously wound on or unwound from the shaft 9. Thus it will beseen that the bars 6 can be raised or lowered as desired.

The hopper 11 has its bottom formed of a stationary inclined strip 15and a series of hinged closures 16, these hinged closures normallycontacting, at their free ends, with the lower end of the fixed bottom15. hinged closures are also in contact with the respective bars 6 so asthus to be held shut thereby. The axle 17 of the machine is ex tendedthrough the frame and has supporting wheels 18 at the ends thereof. Thisaxle rotates with the supporting wheels and is preferably angular incross section, that portion of the axle within the hopper being providedwith a plurality of angular sleeves 19. Each sleeve has a tooth 20extending therefrom and the teeth on the several sleeves are disposed atangles to each other so that the series of teeth extends spirally aroundthe axle. Pins 21 extend from the fixed bottom 15 and are adapted toproject between the paths of the teeth 20.

The closures 16 are interposed between intermediate strips 22 whichconstitute parts of the frame 1.

It will be understood that when the hopper is full of material to bedistributed, the various closures 16 can be permitted to gravitatedownwardly so as to produce openings of any desired size, thisadjustment being effected by rotating shaft 9 so as to partly unwind thechains 8 therefrom. Thus the strips 6 will swing downwardly a sufiicientchine is moving forward the axle 17 will rotate and teeth 20 will thustravel in circles and force the contents of the hopper downwardly towardthe outlet openings, lumps and the like being broken by coming intocontact with pins 21. as stones, bolts, :etc., become lodged within theoutlet openings or between the teeth 20 and closures 16, said closureswill press down wardly on the strips 6 and cause the springs 5 to yield,thus allowing the hangers 3 to move downwardly. Thus the closures willbe free to open to a greater extent to permit the passage of theobstructionor obstructions and as soon as the same has been discharged,the strip or strips 6 will be brought back to their initial positions bythe springs whereupon the closures 16 will likewise be returned to theirinitial positions and the outlet opening will continue of the same sizeas that to which it was originally adjusted. Obviously, therefore, alldanger of injury to teeth, closures, etc, is eliminated.

The machine herein described is particularly designed for distributingfertilizer, such as wet or dry manure, bone dust, lime, etc., and, infact, can be used for distributing any material capable of beingdischarged through narrow openings from a hopper.

vVhat is claimed is 1. A machine of the class described including ahopper, revoluble agitating means therein, a hinged bottom section, asupport therefor, yielding means for holding one end of the supportnormally in a predetermined position, and adjustable means for holdingthe other end of the support.

2. A machine of the class described including a hopper, agitating meanstherein, a hinged bottom closure, a supporting element extendingthereunder, yielding means engaging one end of said element to hold itnormally in a predetermined position, and adjustable means for raisingand lowering the other end of said element to adjust the closure towardor from closed position.

3. A machine of the class described including a hopper having a hingedclosure at the bottom thereof, a supporting element ex- If hard objects,such tending under and normally contacted by the closure, yielding meansengaging one end of said element for holding it normally in apredetermined position, and adjustable means engaging the other end ofsaid element for raising and lowering the same to produce a movement ofthe closure relative to the hopper.

4. A machine of the class described including a hopper having a hingedclosure at the bottom thereof, a yieldingly supported hanger, asupporting element pivotally connected to the hanger and extending underand normally contacted by the closure, and adjusting means connected tothe other end of said element for shifting it vertically to open orclose the closure.

5. A machine of the class described including a hopper having a hingedclosure constituting a portion of the bottom thereof, a spring supportedhanger, a strip pivotally connected to the hanger and extending underand contacted by the closure, and means connected to the other end ofthe strip for adjusting it vertically to open or close the closure.

6. A machine of the. class described including a hopper, a supportingframe on which the hopper is mounted, said hopper being provided with aplurality of hinged closures constituting portions of the bottomthereof, a wheel supported axle mounted for rotation within the hopper,agitating means revoluble with the axle, a supporting element extendingunder each closure, yieldingly supported hangers pivotally connected tothe respective strips, and means connected to said strips forsimultaneously adjusting them vertically to open and close the closures.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a hopperhaving hinged closures constituting portions of the bottom thereof, ofmeans for adjusting the closures to form openings of any desired sizefor the outlet of material from the hopper, and means for yieldinglyholding the closures in the positions to which they are adjusted.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELISHA ROTRAMEL. WVitnesses:

CHARLES WESTHYDEMANN, LEWIS SKILES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

